Fish control apparatus



May' 12, 1931. 'M, R JEFFREY 1,804,989

' FISH CONTROL APPARATUS Filed March 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l :Ell I I ||||lv l 1, l -ll a qui.

' I7. ZJf/rey rf-Z...

MY 12,1931. M. R. JEFFREY FISH CONTROL APPARATUS 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1930 Patented May 12, 1931 U Preis, sfr d PATENT Voericlli MELVN R. JEFFREY, OF MISSO'ULA, MONTANLA l FISH CONTROL APPARATUS Application iledfMarchG, 1930. Serial No. 433,743.1`

rotatable wheel which is adaptedto be mount-V edV in a-fiumefor the like and which'is so constructed that .water current will rotate the 1Q wheel upon'itsstandard, the wheel having screening vmembers which are adapted to be positioned in the flume and which, when so positioned, will'prevent any flsh'from pass,- ing; into the irrigation canal.

I '15 Another objectof this invention is to pro-` p vide in a; water wheel of this charactermeansv for rcleaning the screening members upon roy tation of the wheel. c v Y A further object of this invention is to pro- 2-0 vide'a water wheel having a plurality of tu,- bularscreening memberswhich will prevent any grass: or other material from becoming wrapped' around the screeningwmembers and which willy facilitate cleaning of the screen- '25 ing members upon rotation ofl therwheel. L

A still furtherl Object of thisinvention 1s to provide means forholdi'ng the screening portion of the wheel inthe body of water and'when aquantity vof material collects` in 30 front olffthetubular portion, of the wheel so I as to prevent free passage of theWater, the wheel willvbe permitted to rotate so as to swing another screening memberinto position, the screening member which was 35' clogged by dbris, rising out of the water and being automatically cleaned through drainage ofthelwater from the tubular screening thepreferred embodiment of this invention Figure 2 is a transverse section partly in 50 detailoffthedevlcel; Y

taken; on the lineH ofF-igure 3; andiy y of Figure l.

Figure 3' is a' fragmentary' endv elevationV of the screen member; f

Figure y4l is afragmentary sectional view' Figure 5 is aview taken .onftheflinef-g 55" Referring t0' the` drawings. vvk-@remite numerals ofv reference designatef` correspond- -lng parts throughout the several views7 the numeral l0 designatesga water'flumewlfijichisj preferably open at the upper1 p ortionthere of, the Water flumebeing of.. a`charac terlcon#r ventionally kused in irrigated distriets5'fthe' water flume having anL inlet portion and an outlet l2, the water; being jadapt'edto flow by gravity throughl theY flume, rI vhe upper portion of the fiume-:107 maybe constructed in;V the form' of a ditch or the like' depending only upon the *conditions under which'tlie'l Water is adaptedvto be conveyed to the; irrigated districts. v v y A frame or standard'generally designa'ted"4 as 14 is positioned upon the opposite sides of the flume Yl0j,'vthe standard 145 havin Y`a plurality of' angularly in clined'legmemgloers 15VV which. are mounted'in converging relation, and an upstanding bearingjl' isl positioned upon the upper: end portkQnoffthe legs15, thel bearingmember 16 having an annular open@ inglr for rotatablyV receiving a shaft'lSLor the like. i Y

A fish control wheell generallydesignated as 19 is securedV tothe shaft'lS :Tand is posif l tioned ,betweenl the upright frame or l'egv members 15 and extends. downwardly into 85 the flume 10. The wheel member 19"is pro! vided with a plurality of radiallyinclined spaced ribs or arms 20 vand paddle members" 21 are positioned between pairsgofthefribs 20, the paddle members 2l being preferablyV 90 of substantially solidA construction. 'v

It is', of course understood that any number of paddle members 21 and pairs of'ribs 2O may be positioned aboutthe YshaftllS'7 the* number of paddles, 21 depending only;` upon 9U the size of the-'wheel to be used'in a particular flume'. If desired, the lribsr orspokesfQO" Inayf be. secured to a Ahuby 225Which isy posi--VVV tionedon the sh'aftil'. p

yA secondfseriesqof ipa-irsoffradiallyxinfl- 1' clined spoke members 23 are secured to the hub 22 and are positioned between a ternate spoke members 20, the spoke members 23 beingpreferably substantially longer thany the spoke members 20. The spoke members 23 are preferably of substantially U-sliaped construction having the closed end 24 positioned on the periphery of the wheel.

A tubular screening member generally designated as 25 is secured between pairs of spoke members 23 and extends inwardly from the outer end portions thereof. The tubular screening member 25 is preferably constructed in substantially rectangular form, the particular conguration of the screening member 25 being `of course dependent upon the particular configuration of the flume 10. y

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the flume 10 has been disclosed as being of substantially rectangular form having the upper portionelthereof open, and in like manner, the screening member 25 is disclosed Aais-being of similar rectangular construction having a length substantially equal te the size of theV flume 10 but, ,of course, being .sufficiently smaller so that it can freely rotate'within the flume.

The'height of the screening member 25 is preferably substantially equal to the depth of the flume so that all of the water passing throughthe flume must pass through the Screening member 25. The screening member 25 is preferably constructed of a plurality of rectangular or squared tubular members 26 which are preferably elongated in construction and open at the opposite ends thereof.A Y l y l The Water in the lume is adapted to pass through the tubular screening members 26, the size of the tubular members 26 being sufficient to permit the water-to pass freely therethrough but at the same time prevent any moss or dbris of any kind from passing therethrough.

The screening member 25 may be secured to the spoke members 23 in any desired manner, and preferably a bracing or clamping member 27 is positioned against the inner edge portion of thev screening member 25 and is adapted to hold the screening member against the outer transverse bar or member 24.

A pairof annular ring members 28 are secured to the spoke members 20 and 23 by means of bolts or rivets 29 or the like, or if desired, by means of welding and are adapted to maintain the paddle members 21 and the screening members 25 in desired spaced relation about the hub 22. v

Each of the spoke members 20 on one side of the wheel 19 isvpr-ovided with outstanding lugs 30 or the like, and a tensioned stop member 31 is positioned on the fiume 10 and in the path of the outstanding lug members 30,

' member 33.

In the use of this device, the standard or vwheel supporting member 14 is positioned upon the opposite sides of the flume 10 and the wheel 19 is rotatably mounted on the bearing support 16. If desired, the bearing 16 may have frictionless bearing members 36 in the form of conventional ball bearings or roller bearings. The support 32 is mounted on the flume in a position where the swinging stop member 33 will be inthe path ofthe outstanding lugs 30.

The wheel 19 is positioned within the flume so that it will easily rotate therein and, if desired7 the standard and bearing support 16 may be provided with adjustable means so that the wheel may be suitably adjusted within the flume so that the screening member 25 will readily rotate within the flume.

The screening member 25 is preferably positioned in substantially vertical position within the flume and one or more of the paddle members 21 may be slightly in contact with the water in the flume, but it will of course lbe understood that the tension of the stop member 31 is sufiicient to hold the screening member 25 in desired position within the flume.

, When the inlet portion of the tubular members 26 of the screening m-ember 25 becomes clogged by moss or other matter, a consideri able pressure will be exerted on the screening member which, taken in combination with the pressure on the paddle members 21 which may be positioned in the water in the flume, will force the rotation of the wheel against the tension of the stop member 31 and the restricted paddle members 21 will rotate the wheel 19 until another screening member 25 comes into substantially vertical position within the flume, the screening member 25 which was positioned within the flume being swung outof engagement therewith; and the water which remains within the tubular members 26 will drain outwardly from the inlet side thereof and this draining operation will force-the obstructing moss, grass or the like away from the face of the screening member.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that sutlicient obstruction will be at all times maintained within the fiume so as to prevent any fish or the like from getting past the screening member 25. Preferably, the rotatable fish control member 19 is positioned at a point cllosely adjacent thek large body of water which is used as a means of irrigating the district and wherein there is usually found a considerable number of fish of various kinds which it is desired to retain in natural water courses. However, if desired, the fish control member 19 may be positioned at any point along the flume 10 and be used to prevent passage of any fish which may get past the fish screening members at the head of the canal.

' It will, of course, be understood that vari-` ous changes and modications maybe made in the details of construction anddesign of the above specifically described embodiment of the invention with-out departing ,from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications Vward end thereof into a substantially horizontal cleaning position. n

2. A fish control wheel of the character described comprising a standard and a fish control wheel rotatably mounted on the standard, said wheel comprising a plurality of radially inclined paddle members, a plurality of tubular screen members adapted for rotation with said paddle members, and stop means for holding said screen members within the flume, said screening members when clogged at t-he forward end thereof beingv adapted to be rotated rearwardly by pressurev of the water at the forward end thereof into a substantially horizontal cleaning position.

3. A sh control wheel of the character described comprising a standard, a wheel rotatably lmounted on the standard, said wheel comprising a plurality of relatively' short paddle members and a plurality of elongated tubular screen membersv alternatel ly positioned between said paddle members,

and adapted for rotation therewith, and tensioned stop means for holding said screen members within the fiume, said screening members when clogged at the forward end thereof being adapted to be rotated rearwardly by pressure of the water at the forward endthereof intoa substantially horizontal cleaning position.

4. 'A fish control wheel of the character described 'comprising a support, a wheel rotatmounted' on said' support,"v said wheel x comprising a f pluralityrof radiallyv inclined pad'dle` members, a plurality of radially in'- clinedscreenmembers, said screen members adapted tol be positioned within the' flume and adapted for rotation withisaid paddle members, and tensioned stop means for holding; said screenfmembersin substantially vertical position within the fiume, said screening members when clogged at. the forward end thereof being adapted to bel rotated' rear- '7 comprising a rectangularl tubular screen z lo wardlyy by pressure` ofv they water at the forward end thereofintoa substantially horiyzontal cleaning positionpf i f "g A- fish control/*wheel ofi the character describedllcomprising aframe, a rotatable member! adapted for'ro'tation within a flume, said rotatable memberl'compri'silng a' plurality lof restrictedpaddle-members and `a plurality of screen members adaptedforrotation therewith, said screen members comprising a plurality of elongated tubular members adapted to be positioned within a fiume,

said tubular members having open opposite end portions thereof whereby to permit free passage of water therethrough, and tensioned stopv means mounted on the flume and engaging said wheel wherebyto hold said screenmembers in substantially vertical position within the flume against the tension of the water passing therethrough, said paddle members cooperating with said screen member, when vsaid Vscreen member becomes clogged whereby to rotate said wheel in the direction of the current against the tension 6. A fish control wheel of the `character described comprising a frame, a wheel adapted to be rotatably mounted on said frame and depending into a flume, said wheel comprising a plurality of restricted paddle members anda plurality of screen members alternately positioned between said paddle members, saidy screen members comprisinga plurality of elongated open ended tubular members,

`and' `tensioned holding means for holding said screen members in said flume, said screen members when clogged atthev forward end thereof cooperating with said paddle members whereby to rotate said wheel against Vof said tensioned stop member, said clogged l screen member when rotated out of engage,-y ment Awith lthe liquid in theV flume being' cleaned by downward flowr of the liquid lifted y VYupwardly by said cloggedy screen member.

the tension of said holding member, said clogged screen member being adapted to be moved rearwardly by pressure of the water f on the forward end thereof and when swung out of engagement with said flume being adapted tol be gravitatingly drained and cleaned. V

' V7. A fish control device of the character described comprising a frame, a wheel rotat- 5 ably mountedon saidframe, said wheel comiso prising 'a hub portion, a plurality of paddle members secured to said hub and radially inclined therefrom, a plurality of tubular elongated screen members secured to said hub 5 and alternately positioned between said paddle members, a pair of ring members concentrically positioned about said hub and -secured to the opposite edges of said paddle members and said screen members and adapted to hold said paddle members Vand said screen members in spaced relationfrom each other, an outstanding lug secured to each of said paddle members on one edge thereof, and tensioned stop means adapted to engage )5 said lugs for holding said Wheel against rotation, lone of saidy screen members being adapted to be positioned in the fiume upon engagement of an outstanding lug with Said tensioned stop member. ig. In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

MELYIN R. JEFFREY. 

